Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Explicit emails between newly hired Omaha Superintendent Nancy Sebring and a man she was having an affair with have led her to resign before she started work, the Omaha World-Herald reported this weekend.

The emails became public after requests by that newspaper and the Des Moines Register, which covers the job she was leaving. The Register reports that Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the search firm that handled Sebring's hiring in Des Moines and Omaha, does not request candidates' work emails but may do so in the future.

The public records request turned up 40 emails between Sebring and her lover (both married), discussing their sexual relationship and referring to photos of the man's penis (read an edited and photo-free version here). They were sent to and from her district email account, some on a laptop and iPad belonging to the district, the Des Moines paper reports.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I linked to an Omaha World-Herald series that looked at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as a reform model that Sebring might learn from. Now it appears that Omaha is offering an unsettling example of how difficult it can be to vet a new leader.

According to published accounts, Des Moines school district staff who were filling the newspapers' public records requests came across the explicit emails. They notified the Des Moines board, which confronted Sebring. In a closed meeting with the board, Sebring abruptly changed her resignation date from June 30 to May 10. Both Sebring and the board president cited the demands of getting ready for her new job, and apparently did not disclose the revelations to the Omaha board.

Meanwhile, the Des Moines paper reports that Sebring tried to get rid of the emails, while staff talked the Omaha reporters into modifying their records request so the personal emails wouldn't turn up. When the emails went public Friday, Sebring tendered her resignation to the Omaha board at a hastily-called Saturday meeting.

I have no reason to think Heath Morrison, who starts as CMS superintendent on July 1, has been engaged in anything like this. But it does provide a great illustration of why reporters and the public should be wary when public bodies try to block access to officials' correspondence.

Here in Charlotte, I filed a request on May 21 for school board emails related to travel spending and the Chamber of Commerce's trip to London. I modified the time frame of the request when I was told emails more than a month old would require time and expense, only to be told eight days later that it would cost $855 to get the recent emails. CMS appeared to back away from that pricing, but more than two weeks after the initial request, I have yet to hear a timetable for when those emails might be provided.

Tahira Stalberte in the public information office says she's just starting to review them: "There are nearly 900 emails in Ericka's inbox, so it will take time. After Ericka's, I will need to review the inboxes for the other board members as well."

Chances are, those emails will only provide a few more details on the story I've already reported about Chairman Ericka Ellis-Stewart's attempt to pay for the London trip. But if I needed a nudge not to let the request slide, the Sebring episode surely provides it.

Interesting and juicy gossip about a lonely woman who is seeking love and attention from a married man, but why drag in the new guy for CMS into this storyline? With his hairdo, I cannot seeing him being a playah to be compared to this sexual frenzy. Find out, girl and tell it like it is...

Someone get Tahira Stalberte the supersized bottle of scotch or whatever she drinks. If all 900 of Queen Erika's e-mails are as wordy, run-on and poorly written as the one to the BOCC, Tahira is going to need hazard pay.

In no way am I condoning her actions, but WHAT TYPE OF COMPLETE MORON WOULD USE THEIR WORK COMPUTER AND E-MAIL ACCOUNT TO SEND THESE TYPES OF E-MAILS (PARTICULARLY TO SOMEONE THEY'RE HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH)!!! I mean, seriously. Getting a personal, private e-mail account isn't exactly like obtaining federal security clearance. I am astounded at the stupidity of otherwise smart people.

I could care less about someone having an affair. who is an educator... In omaha... Can they do their job yes or no? This story thousands of miles away is a total waste of my time, And linking it to the new super or making a case for open e-mails is ridiculous. Oh wow the newspaper determined someone used their work computer to engage in an affair in Omaha... Waste of my time

If a public official or government employee has a problem releasing any emails - unless the communication involves attorney-client or personnel matters, then that should raise additional questions. Stalling tactics only compounds suspicions. As for the CMS Board Chair(woman)trying to scam a trip to London on the backs of teachers, she should be watched closely by the fourth estate because this woman is a part of an entitlement mentality. I have not seen one justifiable reason the School Board Chair can learn anything about education with a trip to London. And, we wonder why the County Commission does not trust the School Board to give teachers a raise. The Commissioners do not trust the School Board, especially when the Board Chair can't live within her travel budget. Absurd.

So what your basically saying that in 3-4 years we should do a $100,000 search for a new superintendant and we need to hire this woman? Sounds good to me have her buy a house in charlotte already. Get Pat Riley from Allen Tate on that today.

I can't believe she blew up her life this way - and probably those of several other people. Indiscretion is one thing; but recklessness to this degree is stupefying. She's basically lost two six-figure jobs due to this, plus any opportunity to have another one in the future. Unbelievable!

8:53 a.m., that same thought crossed my mind. But in another email she refers to him being an artist. Plus, I'm pretty sure the paper would disclose if it was one of their employees. You may recall there was a scandal a couple of years ago when a reporter was having an affair with the superintendent she covered (somewhere in Florida?) -- and yes, they exchanged explicit emails on public accounts and got caught that way.

Speaking of email--over the past few years I can't help but notice that CMS administrators shun discussing controversial matters with me via email, and almost always want to move the discussion to a meeting or to a phone call. This accomplishes many things, like discouraging inquiries and leaving no written record that can be shared or searched for in response to a public information request. I suspect these kinds of techniques to control discussions with the public are taught and learned at some of the conventions these administrators attend on our dime, where they learn to better manage us parents and taxpayers....

My latest dust-up with a high school and CMS was over the issue that CMS seems to think it has confiscation powers, in violation of the Constitution and the 4th amendment. Specifically, the school took our cell phone from our daughter and kept it for five days. It was confiscated when it rang in her purse-not a violation of school policy. Please understand that I understand the need for appropriate rules and appropriate consequences for violations--but unconstitutional confiscation is not one we should stand for. What's next? An impound lot at our high schools where they confiscate our cars for a week after a parking code violation at school? No one gave school systems the power of seizure, the power to confiscate.

In attempting to discuss the confiscation of my daughters phone the principal and the district super both want to immediately move to meeting with me the next week or calling them to further discuss. I always insist on continuing with efficient and convenient email, which CMS then often ignores, of course. I want the discussion documented.

Public Information Request won't help you get to some of the most interesting stuff as staff is better trained not to use email but for the routine stuff...

RE: questions about his "ink". He has tattoos. He may be an artist, but the ink in his blood she is referring to is tattoos. She evne mentions getting one herself in one of her emails, saying that she wants his opinion and input on her final choice. He also apparently, is - or was - a soldier of some kind. Probably a sergeant or higher. She keeps referring to his ability to lead people, and he speaks of his hatred of death and funerals. Really, folks...it's not rocket science.

10:19, Pete Gorman was very clear that he didn't use email for anything controversial. He said it was because people could forward snippets out of context, but at that time we were also routinely requesting all of his emails (we slacked off on that when we were basically getting nothing but spam, so I guess they won that round).

I recently found a college journal packed in an old musty box I wrote in cursive writing using an ink pen and paper during the summer of 1983. Why I gave up Facebook. O-M-G. Lord willing, my high school diary got burned somewhere along the way.

12:19 Hate to spoil a perfectly out of place rant, but the blog owner said this "I have no reason to think Heath Morrison, who starts as CMS superintendent on July 1, has been engaged in anything like this" which is not what you thought she wrote.

It's not as simple as getting emails automatically forwarded, because some content (personnel, individual student info, legal, etc.) is confidential. So someone has to sort and provide it. At various times over the years, we have had standing requests for all emails to/from board members and the superintendent. But it's a considerable investment of staff time (CMS' and ours) and CMS has had a knack for making it extra challenging. Their archiving fees do raise the question, though, of reviving that.

Nancy does provide some interesting insight into the world of US public school superintendents - problems with local newspaper reporters, the school board, student achievement, leadership, etc. She also sort of makes the case that experience and time on the job makes the best teacher. Nancy seems a little paranoid about "tests", death and dying but NCLB makes this understandable.

Some questions to ask - and maybe you have previously addressed them and I missed it - is are you only getting emails from the CMSk12nc or whatever it is official email server? Can you get personal emails from say a Hotmail account if it is sent from a CMS server on a CMS owned machine?

CMS employees and BOE staff could be using any number of other servers to send emails about what they really think.

I very rarely ever use my work email for anything but work related correspondence and even then I use caution in what I send.

Wiley, it's definitely the content of the emails that matters, not the account or device it's sent from. Officials can't circumvent public records law by using personal email.

The bizarre thing here is that these reporters didn't do a blanket request. She got caught because she combined her personal notes and fantasies with observations on her quest for the Omaha job, which is why these emails popped up.

Look, I find CMS administration to be rather corrupt and untrustworthy. I, too, would rather have everything from them in writing. However, you are wrong. A ringing phone in the purse is absolutely a violation of the student code of conduct.

"...A student may possess a cell phone on school property, at after-school activities and at school-related functions, provided that during school hours and on a school bus, the cell phone remains off and put away. Possession of a cell phone by a student is a privilege which will be revoked for violations of this policy. Violations may result in the confiscation of the cell phone (to be returned only to a parent) and/or other disciplinary actions. The district is not responsible for theft, loss or damage to cell phones or other electronic devices brought onto its property."

(page 9 of the Student Code of Conduct)

Why was your daughter's phone on in violation of this school policy? Parents like you whom make excuses for your entitled child are part of the problem.

Ann, you will never see those emails, if you do they will look like a redacted version of the Nixon Tapes or the Kennedy Assasination. CMS will not allow any board member or Principal be outed like this.

10:19I'm not getting the cell phone rant either. My own children have had their phones confiscated for breaking the rules. I've had to go into the office with my children to retrieve their phones. While doing so, I've reminded them of the necessity and importance of school rules because their individual needs (as far as their phones are concerned) are far less important than the rights of the whole to receive an education which includes being able to concentrate and focus in class. Also, a teacher's job is to teach which they can't do if they're dealing with student chit-chat, distractions and phones that do everything but launch a missile attack. CMS cell phone rules aren't any different than any other school system- public or private. Did I miss something?

I'm not an attorney, but schools have a right to search lockers, handbags and other things on school property. Now, when your kids go off to college they can text all they want during class as long as you don't mine them flunking out and coming home to live on the sofa on your dime.

A lot of schools have a 3 strikes and you're out policy. In other words, students can break phone rules twice with consequences that include having their phone taken away and but then given back to them at the end of the day. If a student is caught breaking the rules 3 times, a school then has a parent come into the school office to retrieve the phone. A fourth violation results in overnight confiscation of the "accidentally" offending phone. This seems reasonable to me in an effort to maintain some assemblence of order in the classroom that doesn't interfere with everyone else's right to receive a sound and basic education. If your kid's cell phone is interfering with my kid's ability to concentrate and learn, Houston we've got a problem.

I really don't care if your kid twiddles their thumbs and texts all day as long as my kid isn't distracted and able to learn. Your 4th Amendment rights don't usurp my child's right to an education - which isn't in the Constitution but some people think it is. An education isn't a right, it's a privilege.

Here's a thought.. Tell your daughter that it's a privilege to be in school and if she doesn't like the rules, a school has the right to show her the front door.

If your going to throw around your 4th Amendment "rights" then at least be educated enough to know that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to an education.

Now, if the school was reading your daughter's personal texts, looking at personal pictures, and calling your daughter's friends on her phone, then we're venturing into a different Constitutional territory.

8:20, educaiton is a right in the NC Constitution. That is the whole premise of the Leandro case. The feds have forced themselves into it via the Commerce Clause and the General Welfare clause. To accept federal money, the school system must accept additional "strings". That then is how the feds have "bought" their way in usually with the help of Democrats and teacher unions. Additionally the feds nosed their in via the Civil Rights Act and ESA which dictated public school systems had to "warehouse" the uneducatables like WIllie M's. Can a public school system get out form under the feds? Yes they can. While it is difficult, it can be done. Typically, federal dollars amounted to about 10% of a public school system's budget til the last few years. The feds threw out stimulus money which essentially was just more crack cocaine for educrats and politicans.

Several presidential candidates have insisted on ending cabinet positions and federal departments not esplicitly mentioned in the US Constitution. Two most commonly mentioned are Department of Education and Department of Energy. What some at first do not realize about the Department of Energy is that most of their budget goes toward the decommissioning and disarmamnet of our strategic nuclear weapons from Russian disarmament treaties.

# Amendments Proposal date Enactment date Full text1st Protects the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text2nd Protects an individual's right to bear arms September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text3rd Prohibits the forced quartering of soldiers out of war time September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text4th Prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and sets out requirements for search warrants based on probable cause September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text5th Sets out rules for indictment by grand jury and eminent domain, protects the right to due process, and prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text6th Protects the right to a fair and speedy public trial by jury, including the rights to be notified of the accusations, to confront the accuser, to obtain witnesses and to retain counsel September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text7th Provides for the right to trial by jury in certain civil cases, according to common law September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text8th Prohibits excessive fines and excessive bail, as well as cruel and unusual punishment September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text9th Protects rights not enumerated in the constitution. September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text10th Limits the powers of the federal government to those delegated to it by the Constitution September 25, 1789 December 15, 1791 Full text11th Immunity of states from suits from out-of-state citizens and foreigners not living within the state borders. Lays the foundation for sovereign immunity March 4, 1794 February 7, 1795 Full text12th Revises presidential election procedures December 9, 1803 June 15, 1804 Full text13th Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime January 31, 1865 December 6, 1865 Full text14th Defines citizenship, contains the Privileges or Immunities Clause, the Due Process Clause, the Equal Protection Clause, and deals with post-Civil War issues June 13, 1866 July 9, 1868 Full text15th Prohibits the denial of suffrage based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude February 26, 1869 February 3, 1870 Full text16th Allows the federal government to collect income tax July 12, 1909 February 3, 1913 Full text17th Establishes the direct election of United States Senators by popular vote May 13, 1912 April 8, 1913 Full text18th Establishes Prohibition of alcohol (Repealed by Twenty-first Amendment) December 18, 1917 January 16, 1919 Full text19th Establishes women's suffrage June 4, 1919 August 18, 1920 Full text20th Fixes the dates of term commencements for Congress (January 3) and the President (January 20); known as the "lame duck amendment" March 2, 1932 January 23, 1933 Full text21st Repeals the Eighteenth Amendment February 20, 1933 December 5, 1933 Full text22nd Limits the president to two terms, or a maximum of 10 years (i.e., if a Vice President serves not more than one half of a President's term, he or she can be elected to a further two terms) March 24, 1947 February 27, 1951 Full text23rd Provides for representation of Washington, D.C. in the Electoral College June 16, 1960 March 29, 1961 Full text24th Prohibits the revocation of voting rights due to the non-payment of poll taxes September 14, 1962 January 23, 1964 Full text25th Codifies the Tyler Precedent; defines the process of presidential succession July 6, 1965 February 10, 1967 Full text26th Establishes the official voting age to be 18 years old. March 23, 1971 July 1, 1971 Full text27th Prevents laws affecting Congressional salary from taking effect until the beginning of the next session of Congress

NO, the US Constitution does NOT grant the right to an education. The 27 amendments to the US Constitution do NOT grant a right to an education - while 10:15 is whining about his daughter's US Constitutional 4th amendment cell phone rights being violated.

US Bill of Rights

1.Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion and Petition2. Right to keep and bear arms3. Conditions for quarters of soldiers4. Right of search and seizure regulated5. Provisions concerning prosecution6. Right to a speedy trial, witnesses, etc.7. Right to a trial by jury8. Excessive bail, cruel punishment9. Rule of construction of Constitution10. Rights of the States under Constitution

Your daughter was not unreasonably searched. The phone rang. They knew it was there. The phone was not unreasonably seized. The phone rang, they knew it was there, she knew it should have been OFF! The school had probable cause to confiscate the phone as an instructional distraction because, IT RANG IN CLASS and the Student's Rights and Responsibilities Handbook told upi both what would happen!

I highly doubt it was the first time. Besides, who was calling or texting her? You? During school hours? Another student? During school hours?

So why doesn't the Observer offer to pay for a full time or part time person on CMS staff to sort and retrieve email for y'all? Maybe that person can go thru ALL of CMSs email. I'm sure you'll find something interesting and relevant.

We get it. You were talking about how hard it is to get access to public record e-mails because of the mountain of nonsense and non-business related stuff that goes on in them. If e-mails on business provided systems were used only for business, it would be a lot easier.

And for the record, ONLY the CMS e-mail system is the only e-mail system you can access on a CMS computer. All others are blocked.

So if someone has a personal blackberry or a smartphone then they can use their personal service to use other e-mails, and maybe they can now too with iPads, but if they are logged into the CMS system those are blocked.

Finally, ALL CMS E-MAILS ARE PUBLIC RECORD. My family knows that anything and everything the e-mail me using my school account is open for ANYONE to read.